Firefighter I & II

Course Description

Prerequisites

To enroll in the Recruit Fire Academy, participants must meet the following requirements:

• Have completed high school or GED certification
• Be at least 18 years of age

International applicants must meet the following additional requirements:

• Pass an English proficiency exam (coordinated through the TEEX International Student Advisor)

Course Completion Requirements

Application Process 

To complete your application process for this course, you must do the following:

• Pay the $75.00 non-refundable and non-transferable application fee through the TEEX website 
• Submit a completed Online Recruit Fire Academy Participant Enrollment Agreement
• Submit a color copy of a driver’s license or a form of government- or state-issued identification
• Submit a copy of a high school diploma or GED completion: Applicants that are still in high school at the time of enrollment are required to provide a letter from the school stating eligibility for graduation and date. College transcripts are also accepted as proof of high school completion.
• Register with TCFP (https://fido.tcfp.texas.gov) and provide FIDO pin number to registrar.
• Submit proof of meningitis vaccination. Please refer to the TEEX website for more information about meningitis requirements and exemptions.

A representative from TEEX will review your application and contact you if you’ve been cleared to complete the registration process and pay the balance of your tuition.

Important: Upon approval of your application to enroll in the TEEX Recruit Fire Academy, you will be required to submit a medical evaluation prior to the first day of class. You will receive the medical evaluation form along with your reporting instructions.

Technical Requirements

In order to successfully complete this course, you should have access to computer equipment meeting the following system requirements:

• Recommended screen resolution: 1280 x 1024
• Minimum screen resolution: 1024 x 768
• Broadband or high speed internet
• Latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari web browsers
• Latest version of Adobe Reader

Participants Must Provide

• A photo identification on the first day of class. See the Participant Handbook for approved forms of identification and additional guidelines.
• Notebook paper (8½ × 11 inch)
• Pen, highlighters
• Textbook and curriculum materials:
  • International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) Essentials of Fire Fighting, 7th edition, ISBN # 978-0-87939- 657-2
  • TCFP Certification Curriculum Manual, Chapter One: Basic Fire Suppression (download a copy)
  • TCFP Certification Curriculum Manual, Chapter Six: Hazardous Materials (download a copy)
  • TCFP Certification Curriculum Skills Manual, Chapter One: Basic Fire Suppression (download a copy)
  • TCFP Certification Curriculum Skills Manual, Chapter Six: Hazardous Materials (download a copy)
• Uniform essentials (purchased through Barker Productions).
  • The complete listing of all uniform requirements can be found in the Recruit Fire Reporting Instructions.
  • Bunker gear (see Resources Section for more information about bunker gear rental): Coat, Pants, Boots, Hood, Helmet, Gloves
• 7-milimeter Prusik cord, 10 feet in length (unless gear vendor provides)
• Black shoe polish
• Bag for change of clothes
• Athletic shoes and socks
• Backpack for books (black or navy)
• Reusable water bottle

Optional Supplies

• IFSTA Essentials of Fire Fighting Course Workbook, 7th edition, ISBN # 978-0-87939-660-2
• IFSTA Essentials of Fire Fighting Exam Prep, 7th edition, ISBN # 978-0-87939-658-9

Completion of Computer-Based Training Component

For a recruit to successfully complete the CBT component of the Recruit Fire Academy and receive a certificate of completion, he/she must:

• Complete the CBT component of this course, which is twelve weeks from the start of class
• Achieve a final overall average score of 70 percent on all required periodic exams
• Achieve a passing score of 70 percent on the Academy comprehensive class final exam (Note: Recruits will have two attempts to achieve a passing score on the comprehensive class final exam.)

If the recruit does not achieve a final overall average score of 70 percent on all required periodic exams or does not achieve a passing score of 70 percent on the Recruit Fire Academy comprehensive final exam, he/she will not receive a certificate of completion from TEEX and will not be allowed to take the TCFP or National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (Pro Board) Firefighter I and II certification exam.

Completion of Skills Camp Component 

For a recruit to successfully complete the skills camp component of the Recruit Fire Academy and receive a certificate of completion, he/she must:

• Successfully complete all skills portions of the Recruit Fire Academy, as mandated by the TCFP
• Maintain an exemplary attendance record (Note: Recruits who miss 20 hours of class may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the Recruit Fire Academy.)
• Sign the attendance roster each day of class
• Complete the end-of-course evaluation

Depending on the certification, participants may be required to complete the end-of-course evaluation. 

Attendance Requirements

Recruits are required to attend 545 hours of the CBT/blended Recruit Fire Academy. Excessive absences, early departure, or tardiness may place participants at risk of academic failure and place a significant burden on the rest of the class. Therefore, participants who miss 24 hours or more of the skills camp component of the CBT/blended Recruit Fire Academy will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the Academy. Participants will be counseled by the Academy staff on excessive absences. Absences will be charged in 1-hour increments. Participants that leave early will be charged per hour of absence.

Computer Based Training Attendance 

During the CBT component, participants are required to contribute to discussions, submit assignments, and take exams. The Academy is structured with weekly lectures and assignments. Attendance will be tracked by the instructor based on submission of assignments and participation in all online activities and components of the course. Participants who stop communicating with the instructor, stop submitting weekly assignments, or fail to log in to the learning management system for two weeks will be administratively withdrawn.

Skills Camp Attendance

Class attendance is an essential part of the education process, and participants in TEEX courses are expected to attend all class sessions and field exercises. Attendance and participation are components of successful course completion. Attendance is documented on the daily sign-in sheet or with a scanning barcode system. Participants must sign in or be scanned daily for the morning and afternoon sessions. Participants may request to review past sign-in sheets or scanning logs to ensure attendance requirements are met. Recruits will be given a weekly calendar depicting dates, times, and scheduled topic(s) of instruction. The calendar is subject to change at any time. Recruits will be notified of any schedule changes as soon as possible; however, recruits are responsible for noting the changes and preparing accordingly. If for any reason a recruit must leave after arriving on TEEX grounds, the recruit must contact Academy staff or the lead instructor and company officer in accordance with the absence notification protocol.

Upon successful completion, you will be able to:

• Describe the culture and mission of fire and emergency services in addition to its organizational structure and regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Discuss and demonstrate processes for receiving nonemergency calls and receiving and dispatching emergency calls
• Explain how a building’s design and construction affect fire behavior and development inside the structure.
• Explain how fire science, the combustion process, and fire behavior are used to predict fire growth at a scene.
• Perform the donning and doffing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and preparing for reuse; the routine inspection, cleaning, and sanitizing of SCBA; and the processes for filling and replacing an SCBA cylinder.
• Discuss fire classifications, risks associated with each classification, and the limitations of portable fire extinguishers. Demonstrate how to select and operate a portable fire extinguisher
• Describe and demonstrate the proper use, selection, care, and maintenance of ropes and webbing used in the fire service.
• Perform a variety of tasks alone or as part of a team including carrying and raising ground ladders, extending ground ladders, determining if a structural component is capable of supporting a ladder, and placing a ladder to avoid hazards.
• Describe materials and methods to force entry and perform forcible entry through doors, windows, and walls
• Perform search and rescue operations including enacting proper procedures for a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) emergency, operating an air monitoring device, conducting a primary or secondary search, removing victims and firefighters from emergency situations, transmitting a MAYDAY report, and employing methods to withdraw from a structure.
• Discuss the importance of tactical ventilation and methods; perform ventilation utilizing the proper tools
• Describe fire hose characteristics, general care and maintenance of fire hoses and demonstrate how to roll hose, load supply hose on apparatus, load preconnected attack lines, and maintain and clean fire hose.
• Perform hose to including making hydrant connections, drafting from a static water source, deploying a portable water tank, advancing a hose load or hose line, connecting to standpipes, and operating attack lines.
• Identify fire suppression methods for structures, vehicles, stored Class A materials, and ground cover and perform fire suppression operations
• Demonstrate how to locate and extinguish hidden fires; roll, fold, and spread a salvage cover; construct and place a water chute and a catch all; cover building openings; and clean, inspect, and repair a salvage cover.
• Perform vehicle extrication operations including stabilizing a vehicle, lifting a vehicle, removing vehicle glass, using hydraulic tools to open a vehicle door, removing the roof of a vehicle, and displacing the dashboard.
• Discuss and demonstrate using foam to extinguish liquid and gas fires.
• Explain how to initiate operations, lead an attack team, transfer command, and write postincident reports when functioning as the Incident Commander (IC) at an emergency scene.
• Discuss and demonstrate methods to determine where a fire began and its cause in addition to protecting any physical evidence relating to the cause.
• Discuss and demonstrate the maintenance and testing of powered equipment and fire hose.
• Describe community risk reduction programs, education programs, and fire and life safety codes.
• Analyze a Hazardous Materials (HazMat) scenario to identify potential hazards using reference resources.
• Discuss incident management at a Hazardous Materials (HazMat) scene including considerations involving terrorist activities and criminal behavior.
• Demonstrate how to don and doff Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), execute product control actions, and perform gross and technical decontamination at a Hazardous Materials (HazMat) incident.
• Discuss the importance and use of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) during emergency operations.

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Suggested Audience

Individuals seeking employment as a firefighter in a municipal fire department.

Continuing Education And Professional Credits

• Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP)
• State Firefighters’ and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas (SFFMA)
• Pro Board

Other Information

As part of completing this course, participants will receive the following certificates:

• Courage to Be Safe: Everyone Goes Home
• National Traffic Safety Course
• IS-100.C: Introduction to Incident Command System, ICS-100
• IS-200.C: Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response, ICS-200
• IS-700.B: An Introduction to the National Incident Management System
• IS-800.D: National Response Framework, An Introduction

Funding Options

• Sallie Mae approved course, contact [email protected] or teex.org/sallie-mae/